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Gaius van Baelsar
Gaius van Baelsar, also known as The Black Wolf , is one of the prime antagonists of Final Fantasy XIV, first appearing on the final quest of the main storyline. His rank within the Garlean Empire's army is Legatus Legionis, and he is one of the generals leading the invasion into Eorzea. Gaius believes it the duty of the strong to shepherd the weak, and respects those he deems competent regardless of their station. While considered more forward-thinking than his Garlean peers in his opposition to senseless devastation and indiscriminate methods of war, his stewardship over Ala Mhigo was nevertheless characterized by brutal oppression of its native peoples. He is an accomplished general whom both enemy and ally alike cannot help but respect. Profile Appearance Gaius is a Garlean who wears an intimidating suit of black armor over a long red coat and a horned helmet bearing a skull-like visage and gasmask-like breathers and a ceruleum cannon attached to the back of his left hand. His main weapon is a gunblade named Heirsbane (No. IX in Japan), said to have spilled the blood of nine aspirants to the crown. In Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, he discards his suit of armor and rank, wearing a dark red coat adorned with with several Ascian overlord masks along with his old mask. He is a rugged middle-aged man with messy slicked back dark hair and dark yellow eyes and a silver third eye on his forehead. Personality Gaius bears a "might makes right" philosophy, believing it the duty of the strong to shepherd the weak and the ignorant from their weakness or heresy by strength of arms. Despite this Gaius is not without virtues: he is loyal to his majesty the Emperor Solus zos Galvus and to his trusted lieutenants in the XIVth Imperial Legion, placing faith in their capabilities and outraged when they are slighted or defeated. This is particularly noteworthy concerning Rhitahtyn sas Arvina, as a Roegadyn typically do not rise to such rank and esteem in the Garlean military, yet Gaius is clear in his trust and confidence in Rhitahtyn's abilities. Despite his loyalty to his emperor, Gaius was willing to betray his orders by using the Warrior of Light to dispose of Nael van Darnus when he felt Project Meteor was going too far, as he would rather conquer Eorzea than destroy it. Gaius is more forward-thinking than his Garlean peers, having created the Crania Lupi regiment from Ala Mhigan-born individuals who came of age, both to maintain control over the country and to generate loyalty. He opposes the more brutal methods of war and personally ended development of the Black Rose when word reached of biochemical warfare, as he saw it as a tool of extermination rather than of conquest. After the events of A Realm Reborn, Gaius resolved to live on as an avenger to murder the Ascians who controlled him and his men, remaining stoic and reserved. Though having abandoned his rank, he still considers himself a son of Garlemald, though he fights in the name of his homeland rather than the Empire. He is willing to lay previous grudges against the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and the Eorzean Alliance to rest if it is for the greater good. He develops a respectful partnership with the Azure Dragoon, Estinien Wyrmblood, during their mission into Garlemald. Gaius feels the weight of his previous actions as Legatus, horrified to learn that the orphans he took in and raised would create and use dangerous magitek, causing havoc. Abilities Gaius is one of the empire's most accomplished warriors. He is a skilled swordsman and marksman wielding his gunblade's dual purpose with brutal efficiency along with his arm cannon. He can fend off multiple skilled opponents simultaneously without allowing them to land a single blow (or himself landing a single blow), namely four members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn (Y'shtola Rhul, Papalymo Totolymo, Yda Hext and Thancred Waters). After empowering himself Gaius gains blinding speed to vanish and reappear in a blink of an eye. He can launch cross-shaped arcs of energy from his sword and use magitek to conjure blue fire to incinerate enemies and encircle his blade. Gaius is a skilled pilot of machina, personally piloting the ancient Allagan magitek armor known as Ultima Weapon. He also has access to at least one unnamed ship of the Imperial Dreadnaught designation, which is not encountered beyond its one appearance in the 1.0 story. Gaius is an accomplished general whom both enemy and ally alike cannot help but respect. He conquered Ala Mhigo during its period of unrest: when the people revolted against the King of Ruin, leaving the nation vulnerable, Gaius made his move and conquered the nation with minimal effort. Story Early life Born in Garlemald, Gaius served in many campaigns under his Majesty Solus zos Galvus as tribunus angusticlavius of the XIth Legion, and through his exemplary leadership, cunning and combat ability, earned the rank of legatus of the newly formed XIVth Imperial Legion, becoming the emperor's favorite legatus and being known as The Black Wolf. He displayed his loyalty by seeing to the slaughter of nine usurpers, a deed which earned his blade the moniker Heirsbane. Due to his years of dedicated service Gaius was charged to dominate the subcontinent of Eorzea and bring it under Garlemald's banner. Through subterfuge Gaius turned the populace of Ala Mhigo against their king and struck when the city defenses began to crumble at the prospect of civil war, allowing him to capture the city with minimal bloodshed. Gaius earned renown among Eorzea due to his abilities as a commander and his sensibilities as governing administrator by ruling the conquered stronghold as an Imperial Viceroy. He provided Ala Mhigans, like Fordola rem Lupis, honorary citizenship within the empire in return for militant service. Gaius's conquest drew to a halt after the attack on Silver Tear Falls when the XIVth Airship Fleet came into a conflict with the dragonkin and their leader, the great wyrm Midgardsormr. The conflict wiped out the fleet and its flagship, the Agrius, and by killing the great dragon the empire had broken the magical seal preventing the primals from being summoned. Unwilling to risk further casualties by angering the beastribes and their gods, Gaius and his legion retreated to Ala Mhigo. Losing the confidence of his liege, the emperor was swayed by the plans of another legatus, Nael van Darnus, who sought to destroy Eorzea and the primals with it by casting the ancient Allagan spell, Meteor, to wipe them all out. Although Gaius was appalled by the plan he pledged to aid. thumb|left|Gaius takes Cid in. Gaius's friend Midas nan Garlond became enraptured with the project. Seeing how it was affecting his son, Gaius took it upon himself to raise the young Cid. In a moment of lucidity, Midas told his friend that Cid would never be satisfied with a life of making weapons for the emperor. Mid was killed in the incident at Bozja Citadel and Cid deserted his post and defected to Eorzea. Legacy When the Ala Mhigan Resistance tried to sneak into Ala Mhigo by stealing an airship on Silvertear Falls, Gaius intercepted the group and killed them. He shot the adventurer's Path Companion with his gauntlet-mounted gun and attempted to kill them, but Yda, Papalymo, Y'shtola, and Thancred stopped him. Accepting their silent challenge, Gaius forced them on the defensive before ending the fight by signaling an Imperial Dreadnaught to open fire, injuring the adventurer and the four Circle of Knowing members. Seventh Umbral Era Via an Echo of a Gridanian soldier who eavesdropped a conversation between Gaius and Nael van Darnus, Gaius saw Nael's plans to cast Meteor upon Eorzea as a senseless act of genocide. When he later attempted to kill the adventurer, Gaius was stopped by Cid and took his leave after hitting the traitor's arm with a blast of his arm weapon when provoked. Once the companies discovered the construction of Castrum Novum, the adventurer found Gaius during their investigation on a wrecked Garlean airship in Mor Dhona. The legatus congratulated the adventurer's skill in defeating his troops and allowed them to leave with some Garlean schematics related to the lunar transmitter—the machine that can control Dalamud—and return it to Cid, as that was the only hope Eorzea had to survive Meteor. Gaius explained this was no mercy act, and affirmed Garlemald would annihilate the primals and dominate Eorzea with or without Meteor, but he feared that Dalamud was more than what even the empire believed it to be, and Nael van Darnus had his private agenda with it. After Nael's defeat, Gaius appeared during the pilgrimage to awaken The Twelve. He congratulated the adventurer over the victory against Nael, and told the current position of the VIIth Imperial Legion, as he still hoped Dalamud could be stopped so the empire may lay claim to Eorzea—not just its remains. As the Battle of Carteneau commenced, Gaius watched the events unfold from his airship before being forced to fall back when Bahamut devastated the land. ''Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Having survived the Seventh Umbral Era, Gaius begins to act on his own to conquer Eorzea for himself due to the political strife over the condition of Solus zos Galvus, coming to Eorzea with personally-obtained reinforcements from the XIVth Legion, including his three officers. After Solus passes, he is eventually succeeded by his grandson Varis zos Galvus. Revealing himself after the party defeats Garuda, the Black Wolf meets with Cid and chides his former protege for forsaking his home and family. Denouncing the wounded primal, Gaius slays her Ixal followers. Garuda unleashes her fury on the Amal'jaa and Kobold prisoners, forcing them to summon Ifrit and Titan so that she may devour their aether to gain even greater strength. Gaius reveals his trump card for dealing with the primal threat, and with it the means to subjugate the subcontinent: the Ultima Weapon, an ancient Allagan war machine unearthed by the power of the Ascian Lahabrea. The machina subdues and absorbs the three primals as Gaius marvels at the weapon's power. Issuing an ultimatum to those who have seen Ultima's might, he urges the Eorzean Alliance to surrender while Cid and Alphinaud Leveilleur can only look upon it in horror. After the success of Livia sas Junius's attack on the Waking Sands, the remaining Scions mount a rescue mission. As the party escapes the fortress Gaius reveals the extent of the empire's power: the Ultima Weapon and the Scions narrowly escape its grasp only by the skill of Cid's piloting. Expecting a counterattack from the defiant Eorzean Alliance, Gaius sends his protege Rhitahtyn sas Arvina to defend the imperial outpost of Cape Westwind, a vital communication sight between the Garlean castrums. Not to be caught unprepared, he tells Nero tol Scaeva to finish his maintenance on Ultima Weapon while he retires to his quarters with Livia. With Operation Archon closing in on Castrum Merdianum, Gaius learns of Rhitahtyn's death and becomes enraged, accusing the soldiers of deserting their commanding officer due to his heritage. With the enemy closing in, Gaius dispatches Livia to lead the defense of the Castrum. With Cid's help the adventurers confront Gaius in the Praetorium. Again coming face-to-face with Cid, Gaius reveals he still cares for the man he raised and offers him a place as his side. Admiring the adventurer's strength, he offers him regency, the right to rule the conquered Eorzea in exchange for the adventurer joining him in its subjugation. Unsurprised to be spurned, Gaius unleashes a Magitek Colossus as he retreats to the heart of the fortress. As the adventurers penetrate the defenses Gaius challenges them as the last line of defense on their quest to destroy Ultima Weapon. Questioning their faith in The Twelve, he denounces the gods calling them no better than the beastmen and their primals, just eikons that bleed the world dry of the aether that sustains it. Revealing the ideal of the strength of mankind, Gaius declares it is the duty of the strong to shepherd the weak and that Eorzea is his by right, while challenging them to stop him. Impressed by their power, Gaius enters the Ultima Weapon, piloting the machine in the ensuing battle. The Warriors of Light aided by the Mothercrystal herself overcome the Ultima Weapon and strip the primals from it. Baffled, Lahabrea reveals himself and offers to aid Gaius by activating the Heart of Sabik, the core of Ultima's true power. The warmachine unleashes a spell whose devastation rivals that of Meteor—Ultima. In the wake of the spell's destruction, Gaius confronts the party a final time as he curses Lahabrea, intending to finish him off next. Lahabrea tries to unleash Ultima on the party while Gaius can only watch and curse the Ascian, but the weapon is destroyed before the spell is completed. Gaius is ejected from the cockpit as the machina is destroyed. He uses his last strength to implore the adventurer to hear him out regarding the need for a strong ruler to guide the Eorzean people instead of the dangerous reliance of primals and The Twelve. Gaius accepts his fate as the Praetorium self-destructs from the damage caused by Ultima. As the flames consume him Gaius muses to Cid that his conquest ends here in ashes and smoke. As he laid in the rubble, Gaius at first felt ready to join his comrades in death. After freeing himself and escaping the Praetorium, he realized he would be doing a great disservice to his friends if they perished with no justice given. He discarded his armor; no longer the XIVth legatus, he lived on as a mercenary Shadowhunter and resolved to avenge his comrades for deceiving him into unknowingly bringing about a calamity to the world. Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Alphinaud is stranded in The Burn, a desert area en route to Garlemald, after his airship is shot down. He meets a Garlean calling himself the Shadowhunter who claims to be hunting Ascians. The Shadowhunter wields a gunblade with formidable skill, appears to wear the white mask section of Gaius's old helmet on his belt alongside several black and red Ascian masks, and claims to have a history with the Scions. No other travel options available, Alphinaud agrees to have the Shadowhunter accompany him as he continues toward Garlemald. The Shadowhunter, Alphinaud and their companions stop at an outpost where they find numerous corpses, the remains of people killed by an experimental Garlean chemical weapon named the Black Rose, a gas that instantly kills anyone who breathes it in. The Shadowhunter berates the Garleans for using technology he thought abandoned before conceding it was more likely Ascian involvement. The two agree that the Ascians must be stopped before the Black Rose can be used again. The Shadowhunter returns to The Burn just as Hien Rijin and members of Garlond Ironworks finish work on the barrier that will stop a Garlean invasion of the Far East. Sometime prior, Alphinaud was afflicted by the same mysterious phenomenon that struck most of the Scions. The Shadowhunter approaches, carrying Alphinaud's comatose body, and the barrier is lowered to allow him entry. The Shadowhunter reveals to Hien, Alisaie and the Warrior of Light that he is Gaius Baelsar, asserting that Gaius ''van Baelsar died in the Praetorium (the missing particle implying his defect from Garlemald, similarly to Cid Garlond, since particles depend on one's rank in the Garlean society). He divulges information about not only the Black Rose weapon, but the discovery of an Allagan cloning facility, housing many spare bodies of the former Emperor Solus zos Galvus. While he was busy hunting Ascians, Gaius learned of a hierarchy within even the Ascian overlords, in particular, the Paragons of the Source, and reveals the presence of an unknown Ascian by the name of Emet-Selch. While his and the Scions' goals align, Gaius wishes not to drudge up past conflicts and leaves with only the assurance that they have another ally to hunt the shadows. ''Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Some time after the Warrior of Light travels to the First, Gaius and his companions infiltrate a Black Rose production facility only to discover that the batch produced there was moved offsite. After a confrontation with Estinien Wyrmblood, Gaius proposes an alliance with the Dragoon and the two make their way to Garlemald. The pair attempts to investigate both the Black Rose production and the rumors of Zenos yae Galvus (Solus's great-grandson) being possessed by an Ascian (Elidibus). When Gaius and Estinien arrive at the imperial palace they are greeted by a scream of pain, Gaius recognizing it as Emperor Varis. He storms the throne room and finds Zenos impaling his father with his sword. The wounded Varis confirms that this Zenos is genuine and no longer in Ascian possession. Zenos claims that his father is no longer of any use, his presence only interfering with the hunt for the Warrior of Light. He assassinates the emperor and an enraged Gaius charges at Zenos, only for him and Estinien to be overpowered until a detachment led by Annia and Julia quo Soranus arrive. The pair escape Garlemald amid the chaos, and Gaius parts ways with Estinien to attend to another matter requiring his attention. Gaius returns to Ala Mhigo to request a meeting with Raubahn and the Warrior of Light. Estinien's encounter with the Arch Ultima had made him realize that the Ultima Project had continued even after his defection. He investigated the imperial base at Werlyt, confirming that the Empire was developing new magitek weapons modeled after the Ultima Weapon. One of these, the Ruby Weapon, was on its way to the the Ghymlit Dark, and Gaius requests the Warrior of Light's aid in defeating it. After the Ruby Weapon is defeated, Gaius and the Warrior of Light examine its remains. They are confronted by the imperial officers overseeing the Ultima Project, and Gaius recognizes them as a group of orphans he had taken in and raised years in the past. He is horrified that one of them, Milisandia, had been piloting the Ruby Weapon and was slain during the fight. The group of imperials take their leave, warning Gaius that despite their history, they are now enemies. Gaius returns to the Alliance's base of operations, where he is reunited with Cid, who had just arrived to study the Ruby Weapon. He sends Severa, one of his two companions, to assist Cid with his work. Valedaulin, his other companion, reminds Gaius that they have an agreement, and he will not hesitate to kill him if it looks like Gaius is thinking of returning to the Empire. Gameplay Missions (1.0) *Futures Perfect (level 46 main storyline quest). Sidequests (1.0) *"Two Vans are Better than One" (Twin Adder company quest) *"Alive" (Maelstrom company quest) *"Don't Hate The Messenger" (all versions) *"Living on a Prayer" Boss Gaius is fought at the end of the game both on foot and piloting Ultima Weapon. Due to the fight with Lahabrea commonly being considered a story formality due to the ease with which he is defeated, Ultima Weapon effectively acts as the main scenario's final boss. Battle He appears as a guest in the instance battle Emissary of the Dawn to assist Alphinaud. He fights like he did in the Praetorium and functions as a tank for Alphinaud and Maxima, identified only as a Menacing Mercenary. He possesses a colossal amount of HP and makes quick work of the lesser enemies in the fight. During the fight he is captured by the Sky Armors and must be freed before he gets overwhelmed by destroying the Sky Armors restraining him. The player is not required to destroy all Sky Armors as Gaius will eventually free himself after one of them is destroyed. Gaius appears again as an ally in the Main Scenario Quest "Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty". Like in ''Stormblood, he makes quick work of the lesser enemies, and easily overpowers Annia and Julia before splitting up from Estinien. Triple Triad Creation and development Voice Gaius is voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in the Japanese version. He is voiced by Richard Epcar in the English version of A Realm Reborn. Since patch 4.5 of Stormblood, he is voiced by Michael McElhatton, who is best known for portraying Roose Bolton in HBO's Game of Thrones. He shares the former two voice actors with and of the series, Epcar has voiced Ansem since . Musical themes The "Bite of the Black Wolf," an instrumental version of "Rise of the White Raven," is the theme of the first stage of the final battle. The theme is reused in later battles against other Legati. Other appearances Final Fantasy Record Keeper Final Fantasy Trading Card Game Gaius appears with a fire-elemental card with his official render. Triple Triad Gaius appears on a card in the version available via Final Fantasy Portal App. Gallery Gaius van Baelsar FFXIV Art 2.jpg|Artwork. Gaius van Baelsar FFXIV Art 4.jpg|Artwork. Gaius and Tribunes FFXIV Art.jpg|Gaius and Tribunes artwork. Gaius Model Render.png|Gaius's 3D Model. FFXIV Meteor.jpg|Gaius summoning a blast from an Imperial Dreadnaught. FFXIV Gaius Concept.png|Concept art of Gaius. FFXIV Gaius Shooting.jpg|Gaius preparing to shoot his arm-cannon. Zulvan.jpg|Gaius confronts the Circle of Knowing. Gaius Van Baelsar Profile.png|Gaius's profile. CGArtwork RealmReborn1.png|Promo Art for A Realm Reborn. FFXIV Prelude in Violet Artwork.jpg|Shadowhunter in Prelude in Violet artwork. Etymology "Van" is based on Dutch word van which means "from," and is used to show someone is of noble descent. Trivia *He was known among the community as "Zulvan" since his first appearance, but a post on the company page changed his name. *Gaius resembles Grahf, one of the main antagonists in Xenogears, a PlayStation era game by Squaresoft. *Gaius's armor resembles suits worn by the Archadian Judges of Final Fantasy XII, and in particular, Ghis. **Having voiced Gabranth in Final Fantasy XII, Akio Otsuka jokingly said he thought he was playing a Judge again due to Gaius's similar attire. *The game contains several hints that the Shadowhunter is Gaius prior to it being confirmed: **The Shadowhunter bears Gaius's faceplate among his mask collection and wields Heirsbane. **The Shadowhunter uses several techniques associated with Gaius, such as Terminus Est. **The Shadowhunter immediately recognizes Alphinaud as both an Eorzean and a Scion, and mentions having history the organization. **The Shadowhunter has an intimate knowledge and distaste of the Black Rose weapons program, which Gaius had personally shut down years prior for being too extreme. **The musical theme of the Burn, where the Shadowhunter is first met, is a rearrangement of the musical theme of the Praetorium, where Gaius was last seen. * Though Gaius is revealed to have dark skin, he shows pale skin in the "Prelude in Violet" artwork. References es:Gaius van Baelsar fr:Gaius van Baelsar pt-br:Gaius Van Baelsar Category:Antagonists Category:Characters in Final Fantasy XIV Category:Garleans Category:Garlean citizens